(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a compact carrying case that is designed to protect fragile, delicate objects, for example laptop or notebook computers from damage resulting from impacts due to bumping of the case as it is carried or due to dropping the case. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a compact case that can be manually carried or carried in another case, for example a brief case, that is designed to protect laptop computers should the case itself or the briefcase in which it is being carried be struck by an object from the side or be dropped.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The use of laptop or notebook computers in business and in personal use has become widespread. The popularity of laptop computers is due in large part to their reduced size which makes them easily transportable. As a result, laptop computers are not only often transported by the individual between their home and place of business, but are also often transported by the individual whose business requires them to travel to different sites daily, as well as by the individual going on a business trip or a vacation pleasure trip.
Developments in the design of laptop and/or notebook computers include the continued reduction in their size which contributes to the ease in transporting the computer from place to place. These reduced size computers can be easily carried in one hand, tucked under an arm or in a brief case or portfolio without taking up much space. However, the reduction in size of laptop computers has also contributed to the fragility of the computer if bumped against an object or dropped, which could result in breaking the plastic enclosure common among laptop computers as well as causing damage to the delicate electronic components of the computer. This has resulted in the design of carrying cases specifically for laptop computers.
A typical computer carrying case is constructed with padding, for example foam padding, at the sides of the carrying case and primarily along the bottom of the carrying case where impact will likely occur if the carrying case is being manually transported and inadvertently dropped. However, the disadvantage associated with this type of carrying case is that the padding of the case increases the overall size of the case, which detracts from the desirable compactness of the laptop computer that makes it easily transportable.
What is needed to overcome this disadvantage of prior art protective carrying cases is a carrying case constructed to protect delicate objects enclosed in the case, for example a laptop or notebook computer, from impacts on the sides of the case when carried and primarily from impact when the case is inadvertently dropped while being manually carried, without appreciably detracting from the compactness of the computer and its transportability.
The present invention overcomes disadvantages associated with prior art protective carrying cases for laptop computers and other delicate, fragile objects by providing a protective carrying case that protects objects carried in the case from impacts against the sides of the case and primarily from an impact against the bottom of the case when dropped, without relying on bulky layers of padding along the sides and bottom of the case that detract from the compactness and transportability of the object carried by the case.
The carrying case of the invention is basically comprised of an outer, semirigid enclosure that has an interior volume that contains a protective pouch or sleeve. The sleeve is less rigid than the outer enclosure and is dimensioned to receive the fragile object, for example a laptop computer.
The outer enclosure has a rectangular block configuration that is slightly larger than the laptop computer to be contained in the enclosure. It is constructed of first and second, or front and rear, semirigid panels. When the enclosure is positioned upright the front and rear panels are positioned side by side and are slightly spaced from each other. Mutually opposed interior surfaces of the panels define the interior volume of the enclosure. The interior surfaces of the panels are constructed of a softer material than the exterior surfaces of the panels. The spacing of the panels gives the enclosure a top opening between the top ends of the front and rear panels. A closure strap is secured to the rear panel and extends across the top opening to the front panel. A releasable fastener secures the closure strap to the front panel.
The protective pouch or sleeve is comprised of first and second rectangular sheets that are secured to the top ends of the front and rear panels, respectively. The sheets depend downwardly into the interior volume of the enclosure defined by the panels. In the preferred embodiment, the first and second sheets are secured together along their side edges forming the sheets into a tubular sleeve. The sleeve has a top opening at the top of the front and rear panels and a bottom opening adjacent the bottoms of the panels.
A plurality of straps are secured to the bottom end of the sleeve. In the preferred embodiment, the straps are elastic straps. The straps are arranged in two groups or sets. Straps of one set have their top ends secured to the bottom of the first sheet of the sleeve and their bottom ends secured to the bottom of the rear panel of the enclosure. Straps of the second set have their top ends secured to the bottom of the second sheet of the sleeve and their bottom ends secured to the bottom end of the front panel. The front and rear panels are connected together only by the top end of the sleeve, the bottom ends of the two sets of straps and the closure strap. Straps of the first and second sets are arranged side by side in an alternating pattern, interweaving the straps of the first and second sets across the bottom opening of the sleeve. The interweaving of the straps of the first and second sets across the bottom opening of the sleeve defines a bottom of the sleeve on which rests the computer or other object inserted into the sleeve.
In a modification of the preferred embodiment the plurality of straps are modified to accept and support an elongate cushion member. In the modified embodiment only the plurality of straps are different. The front and rear panels and the sleeve remain the same. In addition, the modified straps include first and second sets of straps that are arranged side by side in an alternating pattern, interweaving the straps of the first and second sets across the bottom opening of the sleeve.
The plurality of straps of the modified embodiment are different in that each strap is a doubled up strap with two overlapping lengths between the top and bottom ends of the strap. The two overlapping lengths are secured together at the top and bottom ends of the strap by the same stitching that connects the top end of the strap to the sleeve and the bottom end of the strap to one of the front and rear panels. This enables the two overlapping lengths of each strap to be pulled apart and separated from each other exposing a void between the two overlapping lengths of each strap. The elongate cushion of the modified embodiment is inserted through the voids between the overlapping lengths of each of the straps of the plurality of straps. In this manner, the elongate cushion is suspended below the sleeve and above the bottom edges of the front and rear panels by the plurality of straps. In a preferred embodiment the elongate cushion is a cylindrical foam rod that is interweaved in the plurality of straps by being inserted through the voids between the two overlapping lengths of each strap. With the cushion suspended by the straps below the sleeve and above the bottom edges of the front and rear panels, the cushion provides further protection to the contents of the sleeve when the carrying case is dropped and impacts along the bottom edges of the front and rear panels.
In use, with the carrying case in its upright position, the computer or other object is inserted through the top opening of the enclosure defined by the front and rear panels and through the top opening of the sleeve. The computer is inserted downward through the sleeve until the computer passes through the bottom opening of the sleeve and rests on the interweaved straps. The computer is suspended above the bottom ends of the front and rear panels by the sleeve and the interweaved straps connected between the bottom end of the sleeve and the bottom ends of the front and rear panels. The front and rear semirigid panels protect the computer from impacts against the sides of the carrying case. The interweaved straps, being constructed from elastic straps, resiliently suspend the computer in the case and protect it from impact with the bottom of the carrying case when the case is inadvertently dropped. The cushion of the modified embodiment provides further protection to the computer when the case is dropped.
Thus, the carrying case of the present invention provides protection to a delicate, fragile object such as a laptop computer without appreciably detracting from the compactness of the computer by surrounding it with thick layers of padding.